Neighbor’s Dog Poops in My Yard
August 21, 2006
One of my neighbors lets his dog poop in my yard almost every day. He has a medium-sized mix, so these land mines are somewhat sizable. I’m not a dog hater (I have two of my own) but I wish he wouldn’t let his dog “go” on my grass. How do I raise this topic without alienating one of my neighbors?
B.C., Carlsbad, CA
Dear B.C.
Most dog owners these days know to pick up after their dogs, whether they’re at the park, on the sidewalk or anywhere else. But there are still some who think that leaving land mines outdoors is okay.
You could try a sign in your yard. I’ve seen one that’s made of wrought iron that is very attractive and small. If you can’t find one like that, perhaps a small sign like the real estate agents place beside the road would do the trick. Be sure the wording is tactful. You might even use humor to deflect any hurt feelings. Say something like, “We love ‘em too, but we don’t want ‘piles’ in our yard. Please pick up after your dog.” Or try, “Pick up after your dog, please. It’s only human.” Something that your other neighbors won’t mind seeing every day.
If you don’t want a yard sign (or if that doesn’t get the point across), you might want to have a friendly chat with your neighbor. One friend of mind with a similar situation was able to get a neighbor to stop letting her dogs pee on her grass (it was turning her yard yellow) by getting to know the offender. She’s be sure to be outside getting her mail or pulling weeds as the woman walked by. She would greet the woman, stop to pat the dog, and talk about the weather or the neighborhood or traffic … something they both shared. As they got to know each other, the neighbor stopped letting her dogs make their stop at that particular yard.
If your neighbor is more of a hard case than that (or if you don’t want to invest the time needed for that approach), perhaps a more direct chat would be in order. Greet your neighbor, compliment the dog, then say something like, “I’m trying to keep my lawn in better condition, and I’m training my own dogs not to go on the front lawn. If you could keep your dog from going on my lawn, it would be a big help.”
Your homeowner’s association may be willing to remind everyone of city ordinances concerning picking up after dogs, or even write a letter to the neighbor directly.
Of course, the coward’s way out is to leave an annonymous note at the neighbor’s house stating that dog owners are expected to clean up after their pets. It’s brutal, but it works. I once got an anonymous note in my mailbox when my grass was pretty shaggy. The not mentioned that neglected lawns bring down everyone’s home values. I was horrified, but my lawn has been mown, walkways edged and bushes clipped ever since. (By the way, don’t put anything in someone’s mailbox; it’s illegal.)
Got a question about dog etiquette? Send it here.
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1.
Tena | September 18, 2006 at 10:45 am
Help, I lived on 10 acres , private I thought. Many times a day our neighbors black lab comes over to poop in our yard. I don’t want to clean up giant piles that are as big as our teacup chihuahua. I have tried different things , calling them , asking them to tie her up, tying her up at my house so they have to come and get her.Any suggestions?
Dear Miffed,
I, too, lived on a 10-acre property, surrounded by properties the same size. Outdoor dogs, cats and even the occasional escaped horse roamed from property to property as a rule, not an exception (not to mention deer, foxes and other critters). When you live in a more rural setting, the lifestyle is a little different. When suburban and city folks like me move out to these areas, we often expect our neigbors to act in the same way they did in more urban settings. They simply don’t follow their outdoor dogs around with baggies. They’ve been letting their dogs hang around outside for generations. Remember Lassie? Can you imagine some Yuppie couple coming over and telling Timmy to keep his dog off their lawn?
You have three choices. 1) Acknowledge that free-roaming dogs are a part of the lifestyle you’ve chosen; 2) Get the county health department involved (although in that big a property, they may not get involved); or 3) fence in your property to keep dogs out. But ask yourself if it’s really worth getting all bowed up with your neighbors over. It seems to me that living with dog droppings is less stressful than tension and battles between neighbors. Think of them as deer droppings and focus your energy on more important issues.
2.
ellen | October 21, 2006 at 11:09 am
It isn’t a matter of etiquette. Some people just don’t get it. I am desperate. I have stepped in a neighbors dog shit on my driveway when I have gone out to pick up my newspaper. My 7 year old daughter plays out there. I literally shovel 5 to 10 large deposits a day off my driveway area.
Short of putting down poison what are my options???? Because at this point I am not adverse to using anything that is legal on my own property.
NOTE FROM MODERATOR: Poisoning the pet is not a legal option. It’s illegal in every state. Besides, poisoning is an agonizing, frightening, painful way to die, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to inflict that kind of cruelty on the one innocent party in all this: the dog. Any further suggestions of poisoning a neighbor’s dog will be removed from this board. With that said, you still have a problem. Why not take that pile that you pick up every day and deposit it on your neighbor’s front doorstep? If the neighbor doesn’t want it there, then he or she should pick up after the dog. Then there will be nothing for you to deposit on his doorstep. By the way, one dog cannot eliminate 5-10 times a day. There’s more than one dog pooping in your yard. But leaving the gifts at the door of one known offender is a good start. That way, you’ll make him pick it up one way or another. – LW
3.
jeri | December 16, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Same problem, exect they were leaving them allover the neighborhood.. I have spoken to them nicely, they act like they will stop, but don’t. I finally called animal control and they talked to the people. Now they are mad leave every poop on my lawn and their 6 month Rottweiller is getting big and leaving large deposits. I am intimidated by these people and don’t know what to do.
4.
Lorenzo | January 1, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I live in a townhome community and my immediate next door neighbor has 2 dogs. Their 2 daughters got them a few years ago as a gift from a grandparent.
The two daughters never walk the dogs and keep them in kennels in the basement. They only bring them out when they have to do their business. Now this is where the problem comes in. Since they do not walk the dogs and we live right next door, the girls just walk around and have them urinate and poop in our yard and their yard and never pick them up.
I have spoken to their parents numerous times and this last time we got into a shouting match regarding this issue. We have ironed out the situation and they promised again to talk to their daughters and make sure that they pick up and do not have their dogs urinate in our lawn as it turns it yellow.
We are at our last nerve. We don’t know what else to do. We do not want to loose the neighborhood friendship with have with the parents. My wife got into a shouting match with the older daughter who is 15 years old and it was nasty. I don’t want that anymore.
I have mentioned this to the homeowners associate and they did a blurb in the newsletter and that did not work.
I just want it to stop. Please help us.
5.
Angry Neighbor | January 23, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I live in a townhome community and I have the worst neighbor ever!! She lets her huge black lab poop in our yard. I have recently confronted her about it and she started raising her voice at me telling me that she can’t bend over! Well then lose weight fatty! and my mom watched her pick the poop up in my yard while she was standing there. But, the very next day she let her dog out (always without a leash) and it always seems to poop right in my driveway or where my 4 year old sister plays in the snow! I am about to pick the poo up myself and put it on her front door step!! This is what we all should do and teach these stupid people a lesson!
6.
mat smith | February 4, 2007 at 1:34 pm
ive heard that putting chilli powder down on your lawns for a few weeks will sort out the dog eggs problem, just coated my lawn tonight to give it a try.
7.
Diane | March 1, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I recently moved into a neighborhood that has very few fences. As I have two dogs who are used to having the freedom of lounging in a fenced yard, I knew I would be putting in a fence. My house is on about .5 acre, so I planned on only fencing a portion of the yard.
When I moved in, I had noticed a portion of my back yard was full of dog (I assume) poop. The house had been vacant, so I cleaned up the poop and assumed the offending owner would get the message. However, I soon learned my next door neighbor always let her dogs out her back door unattended. They would go straight to the same portion of my yard and do their duty.
As a result, I chose to put a fence around the entire back yard, figuring I would nip the problem in the bud. Now, my neighbors dogs are using a portion of my front yard.
Please provide some friendly, yet firm, opening lines and additional statements I can use to approach this neighbor.
Also, is there anything safe and natural that can be sprayed or sprinkled on the ground (I have pine trees and a pine needle yard instead of grass) to discourage the dogs?
Thanks.
8.
The T Man | March 3, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I had a similar problem. I told my neighbor that I didn’t think he’d appreciate it if my little boy took a dump on his front lawn every morning, so why did he think it was ok for his dog to do the same thing to my lawn every day. The problem stopped…at least in my yard anyway.
9.
Mary | March 7, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I had a neighbor a few years back that was doing the same thing. They walked their dog when they got home from work the same time every day. So I went out one day as they were letting their dog crap in my front yard. I told them that it was my yard and asked them not to have their dog come into my yard and crap. The owner said that his dog would go where he needed to and there was nothing I could do about it. So I said, “do you know I am the one with the 4 show dogs, Ridgebacks?” He said, “Ya I know.” I then said “if this is a free country and dogs can go where ever they want I am telling you in advance that the next time I see you let your dog come in my yard and crap I am going to take all four of my very large dogs down to your yard and let them do your business. How does that sound?”. He left in a huff and never had his dog come up in my yard again. He walked it across the street and it starting going in the yard across the street first and then the common property. From that I guessed those neighbors complained so he kept his dog in the street until he reached common property and then let him go. BTW the housing association rules clearly state that when you dog goes on common property you are to pick it up and dispose of it in proper trash cans.
10.
meme | March 12, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I have heard crushed red pepper works and I am going to try it for the black lab next door who poops in our yard, but if that doesn’t work putting the crap on their door step or driveway is also a good idea.
MODERATOR’S NOTE: We discourage leaving any sort of substance for a dog to injest. Not sure what crushed red pepper will do, but it will be very unpleasant for the dog to eat. It may prevent him from eating anything in your yard again, but will likely not have any effect on him pooping in your yard. Using health code violations and leash laws to get your neighbor in compliance is a more effective tactic and does not cause stomach upset to the dog. – LW
11.
CrazyMad | March 14, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I’m on 20 acres, none of which I can enjoy! The guy next to us has 4 dogs running loose at all times. One of them is a vicious dog that won’t even let us drive..(much less walk) down our driveway without going through hell. The neighbors on the other side have a whole bunch of dogs (all loose) that poop on my property and only my property. I’m in country dog hell! Let’s just say my child is outside and gets mauled down by on of these crazy hellyins…Then what?? No one cares unless a child gets hurt, but why let it get to that point? There has to be something I can do. I’m all for animal rights, but what about mine?
12.
donna | March 16, 2007 at 11:33 am
My neighbor has a dog that constantly poops on side of our house. We ahve a dog but he he is always on a leash and alwsys poops inour backyard. Her 2 kids are out front with the dog roam free, no leash. She evens knows it and said she will pick up Jesse’s poop but never does. Any suggesions.
13.
Chris | March 17, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I turn on my lawn sprinklers everytime I see my neighbor’s dogs in my front yard and it works. They hate getting wet and I am hoping my neighbor will get the hint.
14.
kip | March 24, 2007 at 9:26 pm
So we just bought a house in urbano. Well there is a rot and german shep next door. Our house was left empty for a few months before we bought it. Will.. the hole bunch comes over a poops in our yard. Oh Man when the snow melts…. well I need to say no more! Pics our in order. well i caught the bunch in yard today and confronted the owner. He said it wasn’t his dogs.. Hhaha I just watched them do it in my yard and the owner has totally denied it. Now what? I called the animal control. But what will they do? nothing!
Help!!!!!!!!! what do i do? I don’t want to make a mess of our new home. But for god sake we spent everything we had on the place. I very pissed about all this!
Can i catch the dogs on my property and take the to human soicty. Or i don’t have the right to do this!
Oh crap! lol any hints out there?
15.
Pat | March 31, 2007 at 11:14 am
I’m at the end of my rope with my neighbors. I’m tired of coming out of my car and stepping on dog poop. I want to sue him for every pair of shoe that I ruin from stepping on his dogs mess.
What do you do when they just refuse to listen to you? Once their dog chased my daughter around the car and now she fears dogs. My husband yelled at him and told him there was a leash law and if he doesnt follow it that we are gonna call the cops on him. The neighbors response was, “Oh, you dont wanna do that!!”
Last summer they used their backyard as a training area for pitbulls. They had between 10-15 dogs coming around. I called the cops everytime this happened but the cops showed up after everyone had left.
I complained to the owner of the house and he said he was gonna put a stop to the fighting but now I think their way of getting back at us now is by having their dogs poop all over our lawn and having them run around without a leash.
In my case, talking with neighbors doesnt work, it only causes more drama.
I will try the chile pepper to see if that works but there has to be something else I can do.
Any other suggestions?
Is there a site that I can go to that has all the dog laws for Illlinois? Maybe I can print it out and send it to my neighbor.
16.
darlene | April 3, 2007 at 12:42 am
i live across from two neighbors, they both have a lot of dogs, i don’t have any, their dogs shit in their own yard,they just leave it, but when the wind blows, it stinks, all year long, i hardly go outside, all you can smell is dogshit, don’t people without pets have any rights?
17.
Sherry Collins | April 5, 2007 at 11:42 am
To the people suffering with antisocial neighbors… I HAD the same problem. I like a nice lawn and I work in my yard pretty much daily and found dog mess each and every time I went out there. My neighbor said it was not their dog. They said there were lots of stray dogs running through the streets.
Anyway, I called animal control on my neighbor and they were left a warning. Exactly one week after I called Animal Control, they let the dog out again. I picked up the dog poop and threw it back into their yard. Unfortunately, some of the poop landed on her car. I then knocked on their door at 6:30 A.M. on my way out to work and very loudly told her to keep her %$$%^&& dog out of my yard.
Everything has been quiet . As long as you are the frustrated and angry party, your neighbor will not care. You have to show them what it feels like to have dog mess in unwanted places like their front porch, windows, car, or whatever you can hit. Law Enforcement will back you up because their is probably a restraint law in your area.
Yes, people without pets have rights. Check the small claims court rules in your area. You can sue them for damage to your property, trespassing, preventing your enjoyment of your personal property.
One other thing you can do is to wait for the dog to get right in the middle of pooping and then throw a bucket of cold water on him. He won’t come back too soon for that kind of treatment.
18.
kip | April 7, 2007 at 12:38 am
Hey! Well, to add to my above coment, I have a update. I called the Animal Control office and they came they say they need some kind of proof, like a picture with time and date. So, I said ok. I got a DVR with motion detector cameras set up.
Hahah! Now I’ve recorded all 3 dogs from next door crapping in my yard. I also got the owner in my yard trying to retrieve his beloved pets. With this setup, I can grab my USB flash drive and put the video on it and deliver it to Animal Control.
My yard is getting cleaner as the snow melts. Kip
19.
Linda Crane | April 19, 2007 at 10:02 am
I love dogs and have two beautiful, well-behaved Samoyed dogs. We have a large chain link fenced backyard and a beautiful lawn. My neighbors have a male husky dog which will not urinate in their fenced-in backyard – he urinates into my yard through the chain link fence – all the time! Therefore, I have a 12 to 16″ area, the full length of our shared fence that smells of very strong urine and the grass has died. My dogs don’t urinate along the fence. A couple of weeks ago, I caught the neighbor’s dog urinating on one of my dogs when they were standing near the fence! My neighbors know I’m not happy about this, but have not done anything to try to alleviate the problem. Any suggestions as to sprays, landscaping ideas, anything???
20.
Angie | April 22, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I live in a townhome. I own, but my neighbor rents their house.
They have a large dog they just leave on the patio. (we have no yards)
It’s on the patio all day chained up.
It’s not taken out on walks and just urinates and defocates on their patio.
Then they hose off their patio and wash all the urine out their front gate…which is RIGHT next to our gate. So everytime I walk out our gate there is that stagnant puddle of dog piss right outside their gate and it SMELLS!!!
I have hosed it and hosed it and poured bleach on it and the smell just lingers.
I dont want anyone who comes to our house to walk past that!!!
Is there a law against any of this?????
21.
Bob | April 27, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Gather up the poop and put it where you KNOW the owner/offender will be likely to step in it.
Buy ex-lax candy, stuff them in pieces of meat and leave them where the dogs are crapping.
Lots of dogs like to go to the same spot. If they eat a couple of these, they will have the accident where it BELONGS, in their yard. The runny stuff is much harder to pic up!
MODERATOR’S NOTE: We do not condone giving dogs laxatives. You know how bad you feel when you’ve got diarrhea; the same thing happens to the dog. It is not the dog’s fault that the owner does not control where the dog does its business. The dog should not have to suffer digestive upset because of a neighbor who’s frustrated at the dog’s owner. It’s better to pick up the piles and leave them for your neighbor to deal with.
22.
JB | May 23, 2007 at 12:24 am
I AM A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER who is sick and tired of IRRESPONSIBLE dog owners! I recently moved to a new state into an apartment. I have two large dogs which I walk daily and always pick up there poop! PROBLEM: Apt. neighbor next store is a complete jerk. He leaves his patio door open and his dog comes and goes as it pleases. The dog is not leashed nor attended. You never know when this dog is going to appear. One of my dogs wants to go after this dog but I won’t allow it because I’m sure that I will get the vet bill. I have called the managing office, the police and the humane society. The jerk is finally being evicted not because of his dog but because he goes into the managing office and curses them out! He says that there is a leash law that the dog has to have a leash but doesn’t say that he has to be holding the other end. I provided the office with a copy of the local ordinance that does state “a competent adult must be securely holding the other end.” IT IS RIDICULOUS THOUGH that responsible people have to put up with irresponsible people but we have to do it all the time. Irresponsible dog owners, irresponsible drunk drivers, irresponsible parents, irresponsible criminals, irresponsible drug addicts, irresponsible smokers, etc. WE SHOULD BE SEGREGATED BY OUR ABILITY TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
23.
Lillie m. Jones | June 4, 2007 at 9:49 am
I am having the same problem as the other person,”person” about dog poop talking to the neighbor doesnt work you have to take action. red pepper, ammonia, lime would help the dog forget in territory. try that and see if that work.
Mrs. Jones
24.
AM | August 1, 2007 at 10:21 pm
My neighbor (in the house directly behind us) just moved in one month ago and has a medium sized dog that he lets roam around in our yard. Although he does try to pick up the dog poop in our yard, sometimes he misses. The dog also urinates in our yard, which obviously can’t be cleaned up. What irritates me is the fact that I have a 12 month old son who isn’t walking yet, and since our neighbors have moved in, I don’t feel I can let my son crawl around in the urine-laden grass that used to be MY BACKYARD. I have spoken nicely to our neighbor about this concern, and his response was that he “guesses he’ll have to put the dog in the house or on a chain.” Isn’t an electric fence a better option?
25.
samuel stoneware | August 10, 2007 at 4:16 am
Two things I did:
(1) After talking with the owner the first day, he feigned innocence as he was crossing my yard and his dog had already pooped and the dog was pissing on my new dogwood tree as we talked — he said it wouldn’t happen again. I knew that was too good to be true, so
(2) The next day, sure as rain, he came walking the dog again and as the dog was crapping in my side yard, I blasted both dog and owner with a high-pressure water hose, soaking both of them. He was mad as hell and started cursing his old-fool lungs off. I pulled a pellet gun out of the bed of my truck and told him I’d “be here every morning and the NEXT time his dog even touches my yard, he will be severely injured, costing you a large vet bill. YOU decide whether it will be worth it.”
Hadn’t seen the old fart since. When a person doesn’t respect your property, than tit-for-tat, why should I respect his?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dontcha just love anyone who uses “feigned” in a sentence? You’re a person after my own heart. It should be noted, however, that we do not encourage threatening physical harm to anyone or any dog.
26.
Richard Zarsadias | September 12, 2007 at 2:32 am
I seldom come home early enough to catch a the “owner” culprit and I do agree that it’s not the animals fault. However, the one time I caught a neighbor allowing his dog to defecate in my yard and not clean up, all I did was pick up the stool with a smile walked over to his porch and emptied the bag unto his yard. Next time, I’ll call him out on my daughters sofball bullhorn and ask him “nicely” to be a good neighbor and clean up after his pet.
rich, Hawaii
27.
pdx | October 8, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I live in a 30×30 lot, in the city, and a stray Lhasa adopted me last year, about 2 yrs old, neglected and unhousebroken. shes a great pet now, up to date on health and beauty issues, but until recently i was letting her ‘get away from me’ between the house and the car, or when i gardened i let her lie around and watch me, and quick as a blink she would sneak away and go to the next corner down, check on new, and create her own P Mail, and deposit a few Pine Cones now and then,,, well, the neighbors told me they didnt like it, so I started picking it up when i caught her, even went out of my way to look for it and pick it up,, sometimes finding some really huge piles, obviously not hers,, Anyway, the crotchety man on the corner that likes to wear dresses and b–ch about my cat going into his yard to eat ‘his’ wild birds,, has it out for me, and got 5 neighbors to sign a petition-, the county sent me a Poop Fine for $50. Which I will pay, but now that I know how nasty this subject can get, I am The Perfect Neighbor, leashing my dog everytime we go out to walk, go straight to the car and not walk anywhere except The Off Leash Dog Area at the local park. I used to like to stroll, and talk to my neighbors if they were out, but forget them, with friends like these who needs enemies. No, I dont hold a grudge, but I am afraid someone might see my Girl squatting and assume shes poopin instead of peepin and get another violation put out against me. My world just seems to keep shrinking. Anyway, dunno how my story helps, but just to say when there is money attatched a threat become much more important. I will save money on neighborly Christmas cards from now on though, to balance the budget!!
28.
Debbie | October 24, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I’m surprised at your suggestion that we leave their dog poop on their doorsteps. I did that once; however, on another occasion, I had to call the police and she complained about the poop on her doorstep. He told me I couldn’t do that. That is, I could throw it in her yard or lawn, but not on her doorstep!
I don’t understand it. If it’s okay for me to step on their dog’s poop, why shouldn’t they do so, too?
29.
David bonifas | November 8, 2007 at 10:43 am
I always throw the poop back in my neighbors yard even though i know it’s not just their dog. i see all kinds of dogs but i just hate my neighbor. This way i can get even. I throw cat feces, skunk feces and racoon feces that live under my deck at their house. Am I hypocrite?
30.
doglover | November 21, 2007 at 3:14 pm
I am having this same problem with my neighbor. I asked him to please scoop after his dog, but then I caught him, a week later letting his dog poop in my yard. However, I discovered that my city has specific by-laws requiring that owners keep their dogs on a leash (when off-property) and scoop their dog’s waste.
With each complaint, they send a letter to the owner reminding him/ her of these by-laws. If the city receives more than 3 complaints against an owner, they will take the owner to civil court and he/she could face fines, etc… so, I just filed my first official complaint—hopefully that will do the trick.
I feel bad for the dog, though. I mean what a terrible owner. He doesn’t keep the dog on a leash (and I live on a very BUSY street), and he is obviously too lazy to take the dog for a proper walk (where he scoops along the way). Maybe this letter will shame him into being a better pet owner. I know I would be mortified to receive such a letter. Mind you I take great care to ensure that my own dog is not disruptive toward other neighbors
31.
helen | November 22, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I love my dog (Dobberman) very much but lately am running out of patience as he persistently piles on my front door. Despite using Get off spray etc, he has refused to get the message and is becoming a nuisance. What do I do before i go crazy?
32.
helen | November 22, 2007 at 1:14 pm
my dog likes piling on my front door despite our using get Off sprays etc. What can I do as am running out of patience?
Editor’s Note: Here’s a trick from Cesar Millan. Put the dog on a leash every time you go out. Set the pace and keep your dog by your side while you walk. If your dog wants to put his head down to sniff or wander, give the leash a tug and keep walking. Then, when he’s walking beside you properly, stop, give him some slack, and let him do his business. This way, you’re setting the pace and your dog waits for you to say it’s okay to do his business. Instead of pooping at the front door, he’ll learn that he must leave the house at a brisk walk by your side. Try it. It will be a struggle at first, but if you do it every day, or even twice a day, your dog will learn what to expect. Just don’t try walking him too far before letting him relieve himself at first.
33.
Jake | December 14, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Tell your neighbor that the next time you catch their dog pooping in your yard, you will shoot the dog. Worked for me.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We don’t want to censor comments, but we have to mention here that we do not condone shooting or harming dogs. The dog is not at fault (he doesn’t know that pooping anywhere he wants is “wrong”) the person is at fault. It is illegal to shoot a neighbor’s dog.
34.
Idetrorce | December 15, 2007 at 10:15 am
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
35.
Kathy | December 20, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I have a situation with a neighbor that is the opposite. The neighbor directly across the street from us continuely puts dog waste on our driveway because they are convinced it is our dogs relieving themselves it their yard. I have 3 dogs; one kenneled when we’re not at home and the other 2 are behind a 5 ft fence. We live in a rural area on a one lane private road. Most dogs are behind fences unless their owners are out with them. Our dogs cannot escape our fenced yard. There are 3 dogs that live a few houses down that are not confined and roam freely throughout the neighborhood. The neighbor putting dog waste in our driveway owns 2 dogs. I left the other day and took our 3 dogs with me. I was gone for about 1 hour. When I returned, there was a nice pile of dog waste on the driveway. I decided to talk with the neighbor. I told her that if she SEES (I am vigilant about our dogs whereabouts when I’m out with them) our dogs relieve themselves in her yard to let me know and I’d be happy to take care of it. She told me it’s not her responsibility to tell me and besides it only happens when we’re not at home. Pointing out to her that I had my dogs with me did no good. To top it off, one of her dogs is terrified of noise (we live very close to a military installation so at times it is quite loud). On several occasions she has not been home and the bombing starts and her dog is at our front door scratching, barking, crying to get in. Usually the dog (golden retriever) escapes via the creek and darts into our house as soon as I open the door. Our front door is ruined because of their dog, I’ve had to clean my house after the poor, muddy dog makes a mess of it, but have taken the dog in to comfort it the best I can until the owner returns home. Isn’t that what a true dog lover does? I am astonished at the rude behavior of this dog owner. What should I do? Do I can animal control, health department or law enforcement? HELP!
36.
Brent Eamer | January 17, 2008 at 9:53 am
Get some livestock, a few chickens etc. Most animal by-laws permit shooting a dog if it can injure livestock
37.
Lee Lee Tee | January 30, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I love dogs, too. We had a dog for over 15 years that passed away in 2001. It was very hard on the family. My neighbors on the side, in the front, and on the back all have dogs. The front and back neighbors are responsible. But the one on the side lets their dogs poop right on their side of the property line and never clean it up. You can imagine how stinky, nasty, and ugly the area is. I told them once about it and they cleaned it once. Now, its worst than ever. Isn’t this an environmental hazzard? Who can I call to help keep this neighbor and environment clean? The HOA isn’t helping.
Editor’s Note: Try your city’s health department. – LW
38.
funstufffordogs | February 1, 2008 at 10:39 am
Here’s a solution that worked well for someone I know. Get an air horn. Wait until the dog is in position (squatting), then blow the air horn. The dog will be startled, to say the least, and will avoid lingering in your yard (and probably the yards on either side, too). The person who tried this had to do it only once. It’s a bit hostile, but if talking to the owner doesn’t resolve the problem, it’s a non-harmful way to discourage the dog. – LW
39.
Doggy lover | February 12, 2008 at 9:14 am
I have small kids. We moved from DC to CO on 40 achers to play out side. I have tried all means with the neighbors to get them to stop their dogs (5) from poopying in my yard right by my front and back door. Sheeeze if it was in the pray land I would care less. No such luck! The blow horn sounds nice. I was told to shoot the Dog with a beebee gun, in the butt It will not hurt them yet it will stop them from wanting to come over. I just have to catch them. We will see.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Do not shoot a dog with a BB gun. It will hurt the dog. If you doubt this, shoot yourself with a BB gun and see how it feels. The best solutions I’ve read in this discussion are the air horn, reporting someone to the HOA or health department, and collecting the poop and depositing it on the offending neighbor’s doorstep. LW
40.
rangled | March 1, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I think it is more appalling to compare hurting a pesty dog or cat coming into someone else’s yard and crapping all over the place, to a human. So what if a BB gunshot hurts, IT’S SUPPOSED TO!
Be lucky it’s not a real bullet! Save bleeding hearts for the children that pick up diseases from nasty dog crap left in your yard–and you already have a fence, don’t own pets of your own. Bad owners make bad pets–but non-pet owners rights to a poop-free yard should be considered!! Here, here! (and this is the clean version of this rabble)
41.
Pammie | March 10, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Ever thought of buying the dog a doggie present; say a pooper scooper. Take the pooper scooper to the neighbor with a note; If you teach your dog to poop in my yard, then , teach it to pick up the poop.
42.
extremely frusterated | March 15, 2008 at 9:50 am
I am having a terrible time, I live on a cul-de-sac with a total of 5 houses and I do not have a dog, but I do love them and think there great! I am the only one in the neighborhood who does not have a dog and all of the four other neighbors have dogs, they let them all run around where ever they want to and even leave them out doors with out supervision, I have asked them before and have made comments about the dogs pooping/urinating in our yard and I am still seeing big mounds of dog crap in my yard and i have two children who like to play outside, I constaintly have to clean their shoes and have even asked the kids not to step in our own grass because there is poop. I am so angry and frusterated, I looked up the ordninces for our town and it is illeagal what they are doing, what do I do to stop this??? ???? please help me. I am thinking of writing them a letter, but it is difficult because just last night I was giving my daughter a bath and I looked outside to see the neighbor walk with his dog and his dog stopped in my yard and clearly was going to go to the bathroom and did take a big turd in our yard and the neighbor went home after he seen that and DID NOT PICK IT UP, WHAT DO I DO???????????????????????????????????
43.
Brian | April 1, 2008 at 10:43 pm
It is amazing how many pet owners don’t pick up after their dog. This is a huge national problem that many people are not aware of. We sell more no dog pooping signs than actual dog signs. Pet owners should always remember, “If your dog poops, please scoop”.
Editor’s Note: Great idea, Brian. Thanks for the link. – Lisa
44.
FD | April 5, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I have tried all the ways of being nice to my neighbors whose dogs have pooped in my yard. None worked. The only thing that worked was a very firm direct approach! See these dog owners who let their dogs poop in your yards have already made up their mind that you are nothing and they can walk all over you! Being nice to them usually doesn’t work. So what I ended up doing was go to my neighbor and tell him a few things: 1- I will call the animal control and cops on them and if it comes to it I will prosecute them to the highest degree for destruction of my property. 2nd if that does not work I will physically remove their animal and will then call the cops that their dogs tried to byte me. If they get mad I’ll tell the cops they threatened my life! Harsh, isn’t it! But it has worked for me. The downside, the neighbor doesn’t talk to me anymore and stays away from me, good! Who needs neighbors like that! See you can’t be nice to these type of neighbors. Good luck.
45.
Aging Gardener | April 16, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I am so sympathetic! We live on 16 acres and have somehow been terrorized by our neighbor’s unfixed male lab who loves to come poop over here where I do such a lovely job gardening. The owners are “friends” and we have felt we need to be very careful but you know what, I am through with that. It’s our land, it’s their dog — take him home. Keep him home. How many piles of dog shit have I cleaned up without saying a word? I think the big dog pooping on the nice neighbor’s field, lawn, whatever is an extension of alpha neighbors insistence on their own place in some sort of weird hierarchy. I say let’s stop indulging them.
46.
Aging gardener's friend | April 17, 2008 at 7:58 am
In 1980, when I was young and feisty, I had moved into a very chi-chi neighborhodd. One neighbor let their little dog run loose in spite of the village rules. He always made a bee line to our house when he had to take a dump. Talking to them nicely didn’t help either. Finally, I got so desparate that one day I put the poop in a plastic bag and attached it to the dogs collar.
The conversation that time wasn’t so nice but it helped. We didn’t see as much of the dog after that day.
47.
Petro | April 20, 2008 at 1:01 am
I was getting a drink of water late tonight and saw my neighbor walk out his front door carrying his dog. He walked down his walkway, took a left into my yard and literally placed the dog on my lawn to take a crap. I’m assuming he was carrying the dog because they didn’t want him to crap on their own lawn. I’m completely shocked.
48.
Tired Mom | April 24, 2008 at 7:53 am
How do I stop someone from coming over from another neighborhood and using my front yard as her dog’s toilet? She must be new to the area or have a new dog, but she walks up into my yard and leaves her G. Shephard doo where my children play. Yes, we do have a county ordinance banning trespassing and not scooping, but if I call the animal control all they say is “tell me where she lives….” I don’t know where she lives — just not on my street! Short of sitting outside all day to wait for her, how do I stop the poo?
49.
a t wits end | April 25, 2008 at 1:11 am
well i too have neighbor dog ( 3 ) to be exact that loves to come over to a mowed yard and show me there stuff. well talking never help, so now instead of weed-eating and getting poop on my face and body, i now take my garden tool and scoop it up and toss it very close to there steps i figure they may want to see what there good boy did! i have tried mothballs and stuff but i found if you go buy a bag of fish bate called chum find a spot they go, they love to roll in it and get all stinky..these dogs are house dogs and they have carpet.. i love dogs, but not neighbors that think its funny! now who’s laughing? i get a smile every time i see them coming now
50.
Fed Up | May 13, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I think it’s time to clean up this planet and get rid of these selfish bastards, that have no consideration for others. They want to have pets, but expect others to clean up after them. I don’t have a dog for that precise reason, I don’t want to take care of them. So why would I want to take care of someone else’s dog shit in my property. I say, shoot the bastards! These kind of people will never learn or respect others. I keep thinking that maybe by moving into a larger property I won’t have neighbor dog problems, but reading this forum, I guess I was wrong. That’s how I arrive at my conclusion..Shoot the bastards!
51.
a cajun delight | June 6, 2008 at 8:33 pm
i have had an ongoing problem for years.i have though fell upon a recent solution of sorts. when i find those pesky poops, i “of coarse ” clean the area, then saturate the area with cayanne pepper. it worked for one neighbor wonderfully.presently i am faced with the unknown “dog walker”.my current tactic is to put the pepper in areas that are of interest to the dog. the corners of the yard ,bush bottems etc.next on the agenda is to get up really early,”when the poops occur” and confront them…. its sad … poop has now become some preverse sence of entertainment
52.
FirstTimePoster | July 13, 2008 at 10:08 am
LOL…Similar problems here. I live in a town home community and my neighbor has two large Boxers. He lets them out the front door and they come over and hit right next to my front sidewalk or right off my back patio. When this first started there were two times when I nicely asked him not to do it. Sure, no problem. Problem kept happening so I loaded up a 3 gallon bucket full out of my yard and put it in his. Still, problem exists. And have complained to the homeowners association at a half dozen times. The odor, flies, and stepping in it have been too much. I was hoping to find some legal recourse on here. I had to shampoo my carpet once and these dogs scare the bejeebers out of me at night. They are not on a leash.
However, I do have a suggestion for some of you…MOTHBALLS!! I used them in the winter and it worked great! Can’t use them now because of lawnmowers and rain, but it did work. I tried the chili powder, tabasco sauce, etc. Use the mothballs!!
53.
Nana | July 15, 2008 at 6:24 pm
If you don’t SEE the dog poop on your lawn and just assume it is their dog–you will be putting dog crap on the front proch of an innocent person and could be considered vandalism.
54.
Sandra | July 23, 2008 at 10:49 am
We have an unknown neighbor who has twice brought their dog onto our property, to defecate just outside our garage door. Both times, the dog had diarrhea, so it was a nasty mess. And both times, this bozo stole either a neighbor’s paper or ours, threw some loose papers on top of the diarrhea, dropped the rest of the paper on our property, then left. So on top of having to clean up stinking diarrhea, we had loose, feces-covered newspapers flying around. Does anyone know if you can rent a surveillance camera anywhere? I’m ready to report them to the health department, and also for trespassing and littering, if necessary, but I need to know who it is first. We don’t have any new neighbors, so I think it must be someone who recently decided to walk their dog on our street.
55.
Bill | August 7, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Get the SPCA to bring a large humane animal trap to your yard and tell your neighbor that you are having problems with strays.It is ILLEGAL for anyone to remove an animal from the trap.After they “pay for the pooper” a few times, They may take care of the problem. If not , leave a little meat with the right amount of laxative in it and the dog probably will not have any poo left by the time he gets to your yard(See haw your neighbor likes liquefied poo on his carpet)Check with your vet to see what amount will work for your particular “friend”
56.
Dina | August 13, 2008 at 8:36 am
My husband loves gardens and asked me to plant some plants and take care of them.I control time,water,weather,weeds…everything to make him glad with it but…I am angry to have this big job because we have neighboors who do not educate the teenager daughters to respect the other people yards…the girls have a medium size dog and leave it without leash:it makes number 2 in my other neighboor’s yard…she is upset too…the dog invaders every yard and makes number 1 on my plants and broke my cosmos flowers.I told to my husband I will not more keep a garden for this rotten girls do this.We and many other neighboors have dogs here but everybody respect everybody less my left side neighboor.
57.
Alyssa | August 13, 2008 at 11:37 am
My neighbors are some real gems…They like to chain up their giant hound off of the back porch so that his relentless barking and howling (directly outside of my bedroom window) is a constant annoyance.
At any rate, they strategically have the dog tied so that it is forced to poop along the side of my house and piss all over my side garden because it obviously won’t make on their driveway. Nothing like waking up to a hot smelly dump right outside your bedroom! They have a good sized backyard that is fenced on the other side but not along our mutual property line. Why not tie the dog up on the other side of their porch so that it poops where it should–in THEIR grass. Anyway it’s a real dick move, and it feels deliberate. Beyond this, I have nearly stepped in massive piles of doo doo EVERYTIME i mow my backyard! They’re too lazy to pick up the poop and they don’t want the feces in their yard so they let the dog go anywhere he wants in my backyard! I used to be able to lay out or play catch in the backyard but now I have the constant fear of doo-doo-foot and can’t enjoy getting a tan when it smells like a zoo. The sh*tty (haha, a pun) part is, I don’t even own a single dog! The reason I don’t have a dog is because I don’t like picking up sh*t! WTF?! This is clearly being done on purpose, I just wish I knew why! They are just some miserable young couple who resent living here and are rude to all of the neighbors. Maybe they think they’re too good for our middle class peasant village of curteous poop-scooping, law abiding citizens? I dunno but these rubes don’t even mow their own lawn–they let their parents come over and do it! Why can’t these neighbors grow up or get rid of the dog if they don’t want to clean up its messes? I am too embarassed and upset to say anything to them about it, but short of putting up barbed wire along the property line, what can i do?!?!
58.
smv | September 3, 2008 at 11:30 am
the tenants above our unit let their dog pee outside their patio, which in turn goes down to our patio. I have tried to clean and wash away the smell. One time while i was washing it away, comes another shower from above. so i have stopped cleaning and i dont go out to the patio anymore or cant even open the door to avoid smell. we made several complains to the complex manager they have sent letters but nothing has been been done the dog continues to pee.
what should i do?
59.
CrankyMe | September 9, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Wow, I thought I was alone. We got a new sidewalk from the city, and suddenly everybody from surrounding neighborhoods are coming around. I’m sure our yard is not the only one being hit, but there are some special dogs out there, like the one who poops on top of the border bricks… wish I could get that on tape!
I’m thinking of sprinkling something yummy on the presents, so maybe the dogs themselves would clean it up… I remember my chihuahuas used to eat poop a lot and it never killed them. Maybe this would be the “ick” factor to keep the neighbors from letting their dogs visit my yard. I’ll let you know if it works.
60.
Charles | October 23, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Yep, it surely is unfortunate that we can’t legally threaten the owners or the dogs with physical violence. Believe it or not, I would sometimes love to punch out someone’s granny. Also, shooting the owner or animal will get you into deeper shit than what’s on your lawn.
I liked the idea of putting fish bait (chum) on the grass, but doesn’t it smell pretty nasty too?? Aren’t we trying to remove smells?
My solution is fairly simple, although it does take a bit of vigilence. I use my trusty garden trowel like an uppercut catapault. Then a liberal amount of ground red pepper where the pile used to reside. You see, when dogs squeeze off a few rounds, their anal glands add their own personal signature. This scent is what they’re sniffing for when they’re looking for a suitable spot. Since a dog is not much more than a nose and an asshole, the pepper really wakes them up. A wonderful deterrent. But you have to keep looking for new piles.
The scoop and fling method, if you will, works best. I just fling it whatever direction is closest to my property line. The yard to the south is rarely mowed, so I’m sure the 14 mexicans that live there don’t even notice. The girl that lives to the north of me is perpetually out of town, and the street doesn’t mind a bit.
I hope this helps
61.
HOPELESS | October 30, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Well, after reading all this and hoping to find a “for sure” win against this absolute violation of people’s rights, I feel HOPELESS. I have a neighbor that allows both of their dogs to shit/piss all over the neighborhood, including our yard. I have also tried talking “nicely” but only to hear “F…. YOU”. Imagine that. Now, she waits until she sees me come home from work to deliberately piss me off. Police basically are worthless and only “talk to them”. Any rebellion against these shitty-disrespectful people will only lead to self-confinement (jail). The City/Government MUST get off their high-paying behinds to actually defend people’s right to privacy and PEACE (isn’t that why we vote them in to office?).
I did enjoy reading this to learn that I am not the only one so upset with this that one would come up with the ideas listed in this chat. I have tried black pepper, chili pepper and cayenne pepper–that just becomes way to expensive as once it rains, you have to do it again. I do love the air horn idea though and am going to purchase one this weekend. Even though “shooting the bastard”, “poisoning the damn dog” or just “kicking the shit out of the owner for being stupid” sounds GREAT — I could never do that as I don’t want to be arrested or want God to kick my butt instead. Great laughs though as we get frustrated, we sure can relate.
How disappointing that we cannot find a “cure” or have a “law” in place to protect people that would like to have nice yards, peace when they get home and respect for our property as we respect others. So much for the “Golden Rule”!
62.
cheree | November 10, 2008 at 2:49 am
we have a similar problem of dog crap in our driveway but as we work full time – i always come home to see it and we cannot work out who the person is as we have a lot of people walking past with dogs! I will try the chilli powder and see if it works. i am so glad that there are other people experiencing this – we were getting paranoid that someone was targetting us for some reason!
63.
Ann | November 13, 2008 at 7:08 am
I am having the same problem. I am a single female living alone and have ived in my house for 10 years. I knew my next door neighbor was weird, but recently his penchant for dogs has gone crazy. He now has 2 adult dogs and 4 puppies that he lets out whenever he thinks I am not home. They shit all over my yard, my back patio, my driveway, all around the house. When I complained, he said if he could go in my backyard he would clean it up. So he picked it up for a couple of days. Then I started putting up a privacy fence and he told my 80 yr old father that if the fence was over on his property it was “coming down”. Yesterday I found dog shit on my roof, and there is more dog shit than ever in my yard. I cannot fence my entire yard because there is wooded hillside behind my house. My dad says my neighbor is dangerous and not to intimidate him, just get the privacy fence up. I’m taking poop pictures in case I can show the police, but I am at a loss as to what to do next. He is sneaky (throwing dog shit ojn my roof) so calling the dog catcher is risky for me.
64.
Sara | December 9, 2008 at 11:22 am
Well, as everyone else I have problems with our neighbors too. They are really good friends of ours. They got a lab about 3 or 4 months ago and they Do Not pick up their own dog shit. I love dogs as I own two Yorkies, that go on piddle pads on our back porch!! We use baggies to pick up our shit. It’s easy to pick up those little tootsie rolls, but to continously have my 2 children step in HUGE PILES of dog shit, is awful. and it stinks to high hell. So I have started putting giant white paper towels over the top of it so they can see that their dog has shit in our yard. I have sprayed ammonia all over my yard today and put out 10, I SAID 10 paper towels in my yard this morning. I am freaking done with it. I found a pile on the other side of my house so I picked it up and put it right next to their car door!! Hopefully they will get the hint!! How is it possiable that my kids step in it, but theirs don’t? I even gave them a trainers leather leash, that I had from our previous dog that had passed away and they still don’t put him on it. I am going insaine here!! All they say is sorry, and dont pick it up. I can’t even let my kids out to play anymore. This shit problem sucks!!! We live in Florida so putting mothballs out will ruin the lawn mowers, as we have to mow the lawn every other week. I am searching for a good alternative to fix this problem. When I find one that works, I’ll be sure to post it!!
65.
AM | December 19, 2008 at 10:28 am
got an update for ya….the pesky neighbors with the giant howling fleabag just decided to get ANOTHER DOG! Seeing as how they cannot care for the first one, what is the point of getting a second dog?
So now I have a double-dog noise and poop/pee problem….the solution?
1)invest in a dog whistle and blow like crazy any time you hear the dob barking excessively or coming towards your yard.
2)if you still want to try a rogue solution, for $20-$50 you can purchase a dog bark sensor for your yard that will emit a high frequency noise that harms the dogs ears when it barks, but won’t really solve the pooping/trespassing issue.
3) signs or fences
4)write up a note from the homeowners association or the neighborhood watch regarding the infraction and leave it on their door. If they see that it came from an assembly of neighborhood authority or is a shared concern, you avoid being the one looking like a jackass if you confront them alone and they are rude, they will be less likely to target you for retaliation if they are offended by the request, and it sends a firm but appropriate message: PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOGS AND ANYTHING COMING OUT OF THEIR BODIES IN ORDER, otherwise YOU force us (the neighborhood) to take action to defend our properties and right to peace. This way you put the responsibility on them and make it clear that legal action will submitted to if the behavior does not change. This frees you up from feeling guilty or victimized, and makes them take action or suffer the consequences of their own doing.
5)if the above doesn’t work; record with video (if possible) every time the dog is being a nuisance (barking excessively or pooing on your yard) Make sure to call the police every single time there is an infraction so that the event is recorded. Typically with 3 offenses, the city gets effective and finally comes down hard on the owners. Be careful when taking legal recourse–dog owners don’t like to be filmed when they are in the wrong and will sometimes get hostile if they catch you. If they do confront you while recording, inform them of the problem you are attempting to document, remind them that you have the legal right to film from your property or public space, and calmly inform them that this documentation will be submitted to authorities if the behavior does not change. If you have a camera, you are in control and can capture any hostility, threats, or altercations to provide police with evidence if things get out of hand. REMEMBER: PEOPLE DON’T LIKE GETTING CAUGHT BREAKING THE LAW, so be prepared with composure and calm.
6) try not to resort to unilaterally building a fence without discussing the matter with them first. If they are unreceptive or do not like the idea of a fence, you need to explain your purpose for building (”Well Ted, it has come to this because we simple cannot resolve the dog issue. I want to respect your rights as a pet owner, but they are infringing upon my rights to keep my property well maintained so I feel this is the best solution. If you are willing to take responsibility for your dog and clean up after them and not let them into my yard, then we don’t need a fence. You have given me no other option”)
66.
Sally | December 29, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I’m a single woman and have owned my home for 8 years. I’ve had two dogs over the years and never ONCE have I let either go potty in someone else’s yard. Well, my neighbor’s live-in boyfriend has gotten a mini-pinscher and I’ve since learned that the dog’s preferred spots to pee and poop happen to be in MY yard. I was doing yard work one morning found several piles of crap well into my yard, so since I’d caught him walking his dog on a leash at my garbage can before, I knew it was him – so I flung the piles into their yard and went on with my morning. He either heard the mower running or saw me do it bc next thing I know, this idiot came over to apologize for not having picked up his dog’s “poopies” since they were busy the previous day – I was in shock – he went on to explain that usually he picks them up quickly but since they’d been busy he hadn’t done it. I politely told him that a dog will learn to go potty wherever he is led to by his owner, and that I would prefer that he AND his dog stay out of my yard, since I just put in $10k of new flooring and am not in the mood to track someone else’s dog’s shit into my house. He continued to apologize – for not having picked up the poop sooner. So I repeated myself. It annoyed me to no end that he presumed the issue was just that he hadn’t picked up the poop, when in reality the issue is that neither he nor his dog have any right to be on my property in the first place. He WALKS her in my lawn, she’s on a leash, and still this clown acts like his puppy is the one at fault.
So I was irritated about it but hadn’t seen it happening again, until this morning when I was getting dressed and opened my bedroom window’s inside shutters. And guess who had his dog on a leash, walking her on my lawn, and so far into my lot that he was behind my bedroom which looks into the woods. For 8 years I haven’t had to worry about anyone peering into my house, and now I have to deal with THIS???? All because he would rather ruin my grass and have me step in the shit, rather than his yard man stepping in it??
I am SO ANNOYED. I live in FL and work hard to keep my lawn and flowers looking nice; the very idea that her boyfriend is choosing my yard to be their dog’s shitpile infuriates me. I had NO idea this was so commonplace but evidently my parents and sister have to endure it also from their neighbors. I’m going to try the cayenne pepper and/or chum idea since I’m not allowed to fence in the side of my yard that he’s dumping in (utility easement – but still my property). Bad neighbors count on people like us not wanting to have a confrontation but I’ve about had it. I don’t pay property taxes so that my yard can be used as a toilet or a playground for neighborhood kids. Talking to this neighbor would do NO good – she’s one of these people who won’t even speak back when you say ‘good morning’ or ‘hello’.
67.
Ann | January 5, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Take pictures of them in your yard (pet owner and pet) mail it out to the offender.. indicate on the photo that all the neighbors have a copy ..It works like a charm…it’s amazing how busy the pet walk area is now that they all know they can make the HALL OF SHAME…….also ground black pepper and cayane pepper work well…sprinkle it all around the edge of your property….dogs /cats hate the smell…
68.
Scooter | April 23, 2009 at 2:00 am
I just picked up a nice pile . Left it hanging on my nieghbors car .
We take great pride in our front yard and I find this to be so disrespectful !
69.
Viking | May 3, 2009 at 8:38 am
I live in a community where pets were not allowed when I moved here. It was one of the criteria for moving here. Since moving here we now live in a “pet friendly” neighborhood. Unfortunately, the “pet friendly” neighborhood is becoming a “pet nuisance” neighborhood.
I do not own pets and did not want the problem I have now been facing for the past year. Dogs pooping and urinating in my yard. I find poop in my yard at least once per week and it is becoming worse and worse.
When someone is walking their dog and stops at my house to allow their dog to smell, urninate and poop, I politely ask them to please not allow their dog to come into my yard. One hundred percent of these pet owners become very defensive and offensive with their language. I have tried explaining to them why I do not want their dogs pooping and urinating in my yard and the responses have been very nasty.
Yesterday afternoon after asking a pet owner to not allow his dogs to run in my yard and allow his dogs to poop and urinate, this man began telling me to get a life and purposely extended his pet leash allowing the dogs to run up onto my patio as if he was wanting them to attack me. I was intimidated and frightened by this action and I ended up getting my cell phone and taking pictures of him and his dogs and then followed him home to find out where he lives. I had previously contacted the property management company about the problems I have been having and I was told to find out where the offenders live, take pictures and return with proof so they could take action.
I was very threatened by the behavior of this dog owner that I contacted the police so that there would be a written record of the behavior. The officer went and spoke with the dog owner and advised him that I would be obtaining a harrassment order of protection. When the dog owner was confronted by the police officer, he told him he would no longer walk his dog near my property. We shall see! It was very disconcerting to feel the necessity to contact the police, but it may be the best solution. The worry of retaliation concerns me, but what will be, will be.
I have tried the red pepper to no avail. I now have my hose next to my patio door and my cell phone camera ready to take pictures.
This situation is extremely hard on me and I am very thankful I found all of the comments on this site. Some of the ideas are very funny even though they are probably not the right thing to do. Laughter is good medicine, but this is a huge problem that laughter may not cure. I will continue to be polite and now call the police. After all, are they not hired by us to “protect and serve”.
70.
emily | May 22, 2009 at 7:53 am
I was going to complain about our neighbor dog pooping in our yard 3 times a week, but from reading through the comments, I guess I don’t have it half bad compared to most of you posters.
And just an observation, but anybody posting on a website about violence or revenge toward their neighbor really needs to get a grip. And some assertiveness training.
What I got out of this post was 1. deal with the problem immediately and politely, and 2. if your neighbor really is an insensitive jerk, turn the other cheek, and just be glad your problems involve dog poop and not anything more serious.
71.
Joy | June 27, 2009 at 5:06 pm
My neighbor has a dog that constantly poops on side of our house for last 8 yrs. I did spoke to the owner. The dog always no leash, evil owner let out of dog door when the dog needs poop
It isn’t a matter of etiquette. Some people just don’t get it. It happens in Michael loop of Staten Island NY